Sunday, April 04, 2010

Spooky News & Giveaways

Long before the term vampire was born, long before Bram Stoker fictionalized this being’s ways, blood-drinking demons were banished to Earth by Michael’s host of Angels, or so the Bible describes.

Now this rich, mesmerizing resource, written in 1900, sheds light on what happened hence to the three vampire bloodlines -- especially the tortured souls known as the Belial. Interspersed are booklets, flaps, and letters between a young paranormal researcher who discovered the book in the 1920s and an oddly alluring woman who seeks his help. Among the phenomena explored are:

* vampires’ genealogical origins, attributes, and range

* myths about the making of vampires

* secrets of vampires’ powers and shape-shifting skills

* tips for spotting vampires, protecting oneself, and fighting back

* case studies of famous vampires -- and vampire hunters -- through history

* a shocking overview of vampires "living" among us

Explore (if you dare) the true history of the Fallen Ones -- and follow the fate of a 1920s investigator lured by a beauty with violet eyes.

To enter the giveaway, email me (scroll and click envelope) with your name and snail/street mail address and type "Vampireology" in the subject line. Facebook, JacketFlap, MySpace, and Twitter readers are welcome to just privately message me with the title in the header or comment on this round-up; I'll write you for contact information, if you win. Deadline: midnight CST April 30. Note: U.S. entries only.

The winners of the T-shirt tie in to Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Hyperion, 2010) are Lauren in Pennsylvania and Jude in Massachusetts. Both winners also will receive a copy of the novel! Read a Cynsations interview with Rachel.

Writers and Technology: a new blog by Anindita Basu Sempere. Peek: "This blog is a space in which to explore the relationship between writers and technology, covering everything from software for writers to new forms of storytelling."

M.T. Anderson: new official author website. Includes insights from M.T. on his books, the text of several of his speeches, including On The Intelligence of Teens. Peek: "...the one thing which still causes people pause – the final hurdle – the last frontier – the one element which still gets a few adult readers up in arms about whether a book is appropriate for kids– is intelligence." Read a Cynsations interview with M.T.Co-op Redux by Eric from Pimp My Novel. Peek: "In a digital environment, you won't have front-of-store promotions, aisle endcaps, or tables of discounted titles; instead, you'll have banner ads, e-couponing (those of you who subscribe to the Barnes & Noble or Borders coupon e-mails will be familiar with these), front-page splashes and placement..." Source: Elizabeth Scott. See also All About Co-op from Nathan Bransford.

Sonia Gensler: a new official site from the author of The Revenant (Knopf, 2011). Note: this author lives in Oklahoma and has a cat. Both good signs.

Thoughts on Writing: The Very First You by Seanan McGuire. Peek: "While I am happy to allow that you can definitely style yourself after someone, I don't think that anyone can be the next insert-name-here."

Author/Illustrator Reminder: you may own the copyright to your book, but you don't own it to reviews published about it. Do not republish them online (or elsewhere) without permission. Keep quotes short, attribute, and link to the source.

Author/Illustrator Tip: when presenting with others on a panel or at a reading, be gracious, mindful, and respectful of everyone's time with the microphone. You'll be more fondly remembered by your peers and the event planner, if you do.

YALITCHAT by Kelly Hashway from Kelly Hashway's Books. Peek: "I originally thought Twitter was a place for people to post all the mundane details of their day, and yes some people do this. However, I only follow agents and other writers, and the ones I follow tend to tweet about useful things."

10 Book Design Terms Explained by Carol Brendler from Jacket Knack. Peek: "Foil: 'A metallic or pigmented coating on plastic sheets or rolls used in foil stamping and foil embossing.'"

Reminder: this week Cynsations featured new voice Y.S. Lee on The Agency: A Spy in the House (Candlewick, 2010)("what happened to smart, unconventional women in the period. If you weren't a good little girl, and you didn’t have a lot of money, what on earth happened to you?").

Check out the latest trailer, featuring upcoming releases, from The Tenners:

In case you haven't heard, there's this series about a boy named Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic). Source: Cool Kids Read.

From Teen Librarian Adriana Melgoza

Attention YA Authors: "This summer teens at the Alhambra Civic Center Library will be invited to participate in a unique reading program called 'Making a Difference @Your Library.' We hope to encourage teens to actively participate in events that will inspire them to make a difference in their community. Part of our incentives will of course be books, so we are asking young adult authors who can spare a copy of their books (signed is better!) to please donate one to our cause. The teens and the staff at the Alhambra Library greatly appreciate all your help!" Note: "We will be running publicity in the city's community events newspaper, "Around Alhambra," and will be sure include author's names/books in our summer reading flyers and print material." Mailing address: Alhambra Civic Center Library; Attn: Adriana Melgoza; 101 S. First St.; Alhambra, CA 91801.

In other news, highlights of the week included receiving these books from Richard Van Camp. Read an interview with Richard Van Camp by Judith Saltman from Papertigers. Peek: "Family, identity, culture, and the essential question: "What does it mean to be Dogrib?" I was raised away from the Dogribs because my parents were taxidermists in Forth Smith.... So, because I'm half White and half Dogrib, family and identity are recurring themes in my writing."

Even More Personally

I spent much of the week reviewing sketches for the Tantalize graphic novel, and now I'm back on deadline for the final round on Blessed (both Candlewick).

About Me

New York Times & Publishers Weekly best-selling, award-winning author the Tantalize series, the Feral series and other critically acclaimed fiction for young readers. She/her. MFA Faculty, Vermont College of Fine Arts. Board member, We Need Diverse Books. Ohonvyetv!